


As His Pulse Stopped

by InkwellSelkie



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Trass is a good boy, alternate deaths, hi does anyone remember he had a dog, major spoilers for Crooked Kingdom, rip Matthias
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-27 02:13:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15014411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkwellSelkie/pseuds/InkwellSelkie
Summary: Matthias dies neither in peace nor in glory, but in the smog of a Ketterdam street.





	As His Pulse Stopped

Matthias dies on the battlefield.

He has never known the sensation before, obviously, but somehow, something deep and primal and terrified inside him just knows a heartrender has gotten to him. It starts with a subtle ache in his chest, gentle and imperceptible as a breath amid a hurricane, then grows steadily to a gut-wrenching twist of agony, Hell itself locked up within his ribcage. He clutches his heart as he falls to the ground, screams wrenching themselves from his lips but going mostly unheard under the chaos of the warzone around him. Trassel whines and snarls and dashes around him in frantic circles. There is blood in his fur, Matthias observes, clashing brutally against the pristine alabaster white of his paws and muzzle and against the pathetic noises of panic and fear he is making. Trass is a warrior, yes, but also a brother, confused and angry and frightened for his own.

There are worse ways to go, the blonde assures himself as his eyes flutter closed. He is dying with honour. His body will be collected and laid to rest properly after his brothers win the battle-they will, Matthias is certain-and he will at last be at peace, ever after to drink from the bounty of Djel. 

His final breaths are a welcome softness amid the smothering fury around him, with red-stained stained paws on his silent chest and the knowledge in his mind that he will soon be at peace.

***

Matthias dies in old age, Nina at his side.

They are no longer rich-the vast majority of their wealth has been spent over the course of their lives-but they are happy. Their house is warm, they are never without food, they recieve regular letters from Inej, (recently retired from slave-hunting and in Ravka with her cousins) Jesper and Wylan, (married and running an explosive weapons dealership) and Kaz, who writes worryingly little of his affairs but mentioned all-too casually he was headed to Ravka for the winter for reasons they could both guess with ease, and most importantly, they are together and safe. It's been exactly seventy-two years since they "tied the knot" and to this day he sometimes looks at his wife and can't help but smile and wonder "how did I get myself into this?". They've picked up the broken remains of their former lives and woven them together into something new and beautiful. It's beautiful. She's beautiful. Red bird, witch, mistake, tempter, enemy, friend, wife, Nina Helnik.

He's known he was dying for weeks now. Nina knows too. They haven't discussed the matter, but they are both too smart not to know that putting off the subject won't stop its coming. Everyone dies. As former soldiers, no one knows that better than them.

It happens in his sleep. His heart just…stops, gentle as a sparrow's wingflap and twice as fast. Nina is already awake. She watches as his chest stops moving. 

Moonlight filters through their gauzy curtains, casting an angelic glow upon his skin, creased like pale fabric. He is still, stiller than she has seen anyone since her time in the army, a lifetime ago. He is at peace. Nina does not mourn.

***

Matthias dies neither in peace nor in glory, but in the dark, choking smog of a Ketterdam street. He can feel nothing but the bullet in his stomach and the arms around him. Those are the only things that matter. All else in the world fades to background chatter, irrelivant, unnecessary, unneeded. Blood pools around him as he collapses onto his knees, garnet black in the dim light and sticky where it touched his skin. Nina is crying but Matthias has accepted this. 

Words are exchanged.

He closes his eyes.

***

Matthias was dreaming again, dreaming of her.


End file.
